Anything But Ordinary
by Trupana
Summary: AU. Kaiba has fallen for Isis Ishtahl, the most sophisticated girl in school. But with Isis so indifferent, Kaiba reluctantly strikes up a deal with her sister Mai Ishtahl, who could care less. But hearts change...Seto/Mai *UPDATED!*
1. Meet the Ishtahls

            AHHH!!  By far the longest chapter that I have written so far, out of all the stories I'm planning.  

Zut2:  Yeah, since you're always so lazy and you don't update.

            Ignore Zut2.  He's a chibi clone of Brood's Zutsokaki, and he's learning too much of his daddy's cynicism.  And he's my muse.  Sigh.  Fortunately, I'm sending him through UPS to Wingleader Sora Jade.  Hehe.  She'll have to watch out for the flamethrower. 

            Anyway, onto the story.  This is a very alternate universe fic.  Here's how it goes:

            Seto Kaiba is smitten with Isis Ishtahl, whose siblings include Malik, Ishtar, and *insert drum roll* Mai.  Yes, Mai.  And so, Kaiba strikes up a reluctant friendship with Mai, who is an extreme-sport-heavy-metal chick who wants nothing to do with him.  For a certain sum and some favors, Mai will give Kaiba the inside scoop to winning Isis' heart and surviving the Ishtahl family.  But along the way, the two get to know each other really well.  And people's hearts and desires change…

The families:

Ishtahl family:  Adriya (the mother), the father (I haven't decided the name yet, you guys can help me), Isis, Mai, Malik and Ishtar (twins).  Isis is the oldest, Malik and Ishtar are the youngest.

The Motos:  Solomon Moto (grandfather), Yami (17 years old), Yugi (16 years old)

The Kaibas:  Seto (18 years old), Mokuba (14 years old)

Wheelers:  Joey (17), Serenity (15)

Bakuras:  Ryou and Bakura (twins) (17)

And everyone else is the same.  I think.

            This chapter is the "Welcome to the Ishtahl Family" chapter.  More plot development next time.  Now on with the story!

            Zut2:  She no own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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As the last digit of the radio clock leisurely changed to a zero, loud music suddenly blared into the pigsty of a room.  A curse soon ensued from somewhere inside the blanket of the bed, and a hand reached out to smash the snooze button into the inside of the radio.  But just as the clock was about to meet the Fist of Doom, two violet eyes popped open, and the hand retracted as quickly as the claws of a cat.  

            Mai instantly jumped up from her recumbent postion (which was no small feat, considering that she had been tangled in a mess of blankets and clothes thanks to her twisting and kicking around at night), and started head-banging to the music.  With her snarled, wavy blonde mass of hair swinging back and forth, Mai Ishtahl bounced on her bed, swung her head from side to side like a rock star, and started singing along to the music.

            "Sometimes I get so weird, I even freak myself out.  

            I laugh myself to sleep, it's my…lullaby…

            Sometimes I drive so fast, just to felt the danger.

            I want to scream, it makes me feel alive…."

            Malik stuck his head through the crack in the door, batting away the fading Dead Kennedys poster, whose tape was slowly losing its stickiness.  Smirking at his older sister's antics, he was about to comment on her "ear-piercing shrieks", as he called her vocalizations.  He would have never admitted that she sounded rather impressive.  But suddenly, his ear recognized the song, and Malik jumped in the room and screeching along with the radio and Mai.

            "Is it enough to love?

            Is it enough to breathe?

            Somebody rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed.

            Is it enough to die?

            Somebody save my life…

            I'd rather be anything but ordinary please."

            Mai jumped back around and stood straight up, trying to glare at her little brother for interrupting her.  

            "What are you doing brat?  And where's the other twin terror?" She snarled sternly, while Malik slowly raised his violet eyes to meet hers.  The corners of her lips crept up slowly, as she regarded her brother's Kuriboh pajamas.  Malik also started to smile as he looked at his sister.  Then, they both started laughing at the same time.

            "What a rock star you'd make, Mal.  All the girls will love you in those PJs." Mai joked, eying her tanned fifteen-year-old brother in the loose, monster-covered pajamas. "Should I tell them that you sleep with a Kuriboh plushie too?"

            Malik leapt warily over a pile of dirty laundry, tripped on a spike-studded belt, and landed on Mai's snowboard gear.  He scowled at her while using her precious martial arts practice dummy to help himself up.  "And don't you look pretty today?" Malik asked drily, his eyes snickering at her, "You're wearing pink."

            Mai mirrored his scowl and crossed her arms over her chest, glancing a little squeamishly at the baby pink T-shirt and pajamas bottoms.  She plopped down on the bed, carelessly shoving her pillow onto the ground.  "Mother wanted me to wear them.  She said that Auntie Sora Jade 'sent them to you so that you would wear them, and I want you to wear them!'" Mai imitated her mother's voice to a tee, while pretending to look as solemn and strict.  Malik ruined the effect by laughing in her face.

            "Did I hear someone making fun of me?" a rich, subtly accented voice drifted in from the hall.  Mai immediately dropped her act, and started desperately shoving the miscellaneous items on the floor under her bed.  Malik stopped laughing like a hyena and meekly stood to the side.  

Adriya Malik's tall, slender form was silhouetted in the shade of Mai's door.  The shadow cast on the wall was like that of an ancient Egyptian queen richly painted on stone, to endure in the pyramids forever.  Slowly, but too fast for Mai to sweep all her junk under her bed, Adriya floated in (there were no other words to describe the way she moved).  Her simple, linen shift rustled quietly and moved with her graceful motions.  Her exotically tilted Egyptian eyes, which her precious children had inherited, swept over the room.  While her calm face showed no sign of emotion other than serenity, Mai cringed under her glance, and even Malik grimaced in sympathy for his sister.  They had learned long ago that the quieter their mother, the more annoyed she was.

Their mother gazed at Mai's unkempt appearance and messy, dark room, displeasure showing in the slight raise of her eyebrow.  Mai sighed audibly.  She had gone through that so many times that she knew exactly what was coming out of her mother's mouth next.  

"Your sister is already up, Mai.  She's downstairs, already finished with breakfast.  In fact, she's reviewing her notes for World History presentation today.  You are in that as well, are you not?"  Adriya gently spoke, voice never rising or falling as gracefully she fished out a black t-shirt out of the fray on the carpet, and folded the shirt as she spoke.  She handed it to Mai, who accepted it reluctantly.  Yup, her mother was predictable.  Mai stopped herself in her rebellious thought.  She could never think about her mother without a certain respect.

As Mai stood there, silent in her thoughts, Adriya quietly cleared her throat and straightened her slender 5'8'' frame.  "I think you would do well to get ready.  You have only a couple more minutes if you want Isis to drive you to school.  As well, as I understand, you have a presentation in World History as well."  Mai caught a tinge of reproach in her mother's voice, and immediately jumped into action.  Mai dashed clumsily around, grabbing a pair of pants, shirt, and other such items from the cluttered floor.  During his mother's conversation, Malik had stood there, slightly dazed, with his mouth hanging slightly open and lavender eyes blank.  Now, Adriya turned her intense gaze on her son.  

"Close your mouth, Malik.  It is not befitting to hang your mouth open that wide.  I suggest you get ready as well.  And wake up Ishtar.  Ra knows how he sleeps through all your noise."  Adriya smoothed Malik's untamable hair with an unusually maternal look in her eye, while the teenage boy shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.  Then, Adriya raised her eyes to the door and drifted out as softly as she had entered in.  Both children sighed in relief as their mother's quiet aura drifted away.  As much as they esteemed their mother, they were much more comfortable when she wasn't there.

"Well, what are you waiting for?  Our dear mother told you to get ready."  Mai mocked, slightly ruffled by her mother's affectionate gesture towards her brother and her blunt attentions to Mai.  She savagely tugged a canvas belt out from under a pile of books.  Malik snorted.

"Going already, sister dear," Malik swiftly waded his way through the junk to the banged-up door.  Mai jerked her head in his direction.

"Hey!  I get the bathroom first!"  With amazing dexterity, Mai leapt over a pile of clothes to the door, and body-checked her hardy brother into the doorframe.  She darted down the hall, to the right, with the agility of a cat, while Malik winced, gingerly rubbed his arm, then sprinted after her, grinning wildly.  This race was a daily fixture in the Ishtahl household.  Life just wouldn't be the same without it.  

Mai's hair flew wildly behind her, tangles and all, as she made her way through the spacious hall towards the bathroom.  She could hear Malik pounding down behind her, his breath coming in short, rapid gasps.  She snickered.

"A little too much flab there, Mal.  I think you're getting out of shape.  What will the football team do without you?"  Mai dodged left as Malik made a grab for her shirt.  She whipped her head back and stuck out her tongue childishly.  Malik lunged forward and grabbed onto a wave of hair.

"Hah!  Au contraire, sis," Malik called back as Mai hissed an Egyptian curse, "I'm quite in my element."  They were three steps to the door…two…one… Mai doubled her strides and was soon neck-to-neck with Malik.  

"You were saying?"  And with a push of Mai's hand, Malik was pushed forward, carried by his momentum. Mai, on the other hand, had whirled gracefully to the right and gleefully turned the knob of the bathroom door.  "Losers always piss last."  With a smirk, she stepped in and slammed the door behind her.  

Only to see Ishtar changing and brushing his teeth at the same time.  He stood there, shirt open and boxers exposed, smiling in a mock dashing way through the toothpaste foam, as he chuckled  "Morning, Mai-Mai."  Which sounded more like "Mwarming, Myi-Myi."  His left hand was clumsily buttoning his wrinkled white shirt.

Mai grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut, having gotten an eyeful.  She turned around stormily.  "First of all, I'm older than you, Ishtar.  I give you the nicknames, not the other way around, **Ishy**!  Secondly, what are you doing up so early?  Third, pull up your pants!  Ugh!  Really.  And last of all, what are you doing up so early?!"                    

The psychotic twin (that is, the more psychotic of the two) chuckled in a low tone and began to hike up his pants with one hand.  "Thought I'd get a head start on both of you head-banging freaks.  In fact," he said thoughtfully, tapping his toothbrush against the sink, "I believe it was your ear-piercing screeching that woke me up."  Mai's maroon eyes narrowed, and glowed slightly red.

"My singing is a lot better than your monotone chords, and if you want to use Mal's phrase, GET IT RIGHT!  It's "ear-piercing shrieks", you idiot.  And who told you to listen to my singing anyway?  It's a personal, private enjoyment, not something I parade in front of the whole family!"

In reality, Ishtar had actually started dancing to Mai's singing when he woke up, but he wasn't about to tell Mai that he thought her singing was great.  He liked torturing her more. 

"It's more like a personal, private tortu…Ow!"  Ishtar found himself outside of the washroom, staring at the door.  A muffled click indicated that Mai had locked him out.  "Hey, I was brushing my teeth!"

"Yeah?  Well, there's a bathroom downstairs, or you can use Isis's upstairs.  Of course, if you decide to go downstairs, you might want to finish pulling up your pants."  Came Mai's reply, followed by stifled laughter, which was barely audible through the thick oak of the door.  Ishtar scowled, muttered something about using the Millenium Rod on his sister, and headed downstairs.  After he pulled his pants all the way up.

Meanwhile, Mai flicked on the radio with a forefinger, then hummed along with the song as she squirted toothpaste on her toothbrush.  She strode across the cool marble tiles to the elegant shower, jerking on the chrome-covered showerhead.  

"Multi-tasking is a wonderful thing."  Mai muttered as she took off her clothes and stepped into the shower with her toothbrush stuffed in her mouth.  With one hand, she combed the tangles out of her blond hair, and with the other, brushed her teeth.  Then, she caught a mouthful of water from the showerhead and spat it out.  She quickly washed her hair with shampoo and rinsed her hair quickly.  Within three minutes, she was done, full dressed.  She gathered her wet hair into a messy ponytail, and left it like that.  She quickly glanced at the mirror.  Her black shirt with the white Metallica T-shirt on top was decently un-wrinkled, enough to pass her mother's inspection.  Her dark green cargo pants were clean enough, since she'd washed them yesterday.  And her camouflage belt cinched the loose pants tightly around her hips, which her mother should approve.  She opened the door, hopping down the hall on one foot while putting a sock on the other, while heading towards the stairs.  She could hear Malik's screeching in the shower from Isis' room, and snickered.  His singing was definitely considered shrieking.  And most likely, he'd be shrieking for mercy when Isis caught him using her personal bathroom without her permission.  Which was inevitable, thanks to Isis' lovely little Millenium Tauk.

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Mai stirred the soggy cereal in her bowl, scraping a few dry flakes off the sides.  The cereal flakes landed on top of the milk, floating gently.  Mai mashed them down with her spoon.  She doused the cereal with another helping of milk.

"Gees, sis.  Most people like milk with their cereal, not cereal with their milk," commented Malik as he idly took a bite out of his buttered toast.  Isis, who was sitting on the other side of the grand mahogany table, looked past the silver candelabras to gaze at her brother.  Gracefully brushing a hand to sweep back a nonexistent strand of hair, Isis, sounding as serene as her mother, asked her brother, "Were you asking me something?"

Malik, who was as shy around his mother as Isis, wiped the grin off his face and meekly replied with a serious face, "Sorry 'bout that, Isis.  I meant sis as in sister, not 'Sis."  

"Besides," Mai said, a little snidely, "the only one who calls you 'Sis is Ishy."  Mai winced as she caught the slightly hurt look on Isis' face, but she stayed stolidly silent.  Her mother would flatter the look off Isis' face soon anyhow.  Isis quietly resumed the review of her carefully written notecards, just as their mother glided in.  

"Isis, you should stop working so hard.  You'll get a headache," Adriya commanded warmly, actually smiling at her eldest daughter, "I've heard you recite your presentation, and you were just perfect!"  Meanwhile, Mai rolled her eyes and stole a bite of toast from Malik.  

"You look fabulous today honey.  You'll blow them away!" Adriya laughed, smoothing the imaginary flyaways of Isis' perfect hair.  Isis was almost the perfect mirror image of Adriya, except that her eyes were blue like her father's, while her mother's were more like Mai's.  Her perfectly straight hair fell around her shoulders, accentuating her elegant neck and the golden Tauk circling it.  She wore her hair in her usual style, two thick ropes of dark hair wrapped with gold sheaths, but instead of the elaborate headdress she wore on special occasions, she wore a simple strand of golden beads around her forehead.  Today, she wore a simple white glossy skirt with a gauzy layer that floated about her as she rose to greet her mother.  Her top was distinctly Egyptian, made of fine white linen, worn off-shoulders, and edged with an embroidered gold trim.  Softly skimming her curves, the shirt drew attention to her perfect slender figure.  Yes, Isis was perfect.  She had the perfect eyes, figure, hair, style.  She was exactly like her mother, but even more elegant.  She was the epitome of femininity.  Mai, on the other hand, totally disregarded her mother's feminine ideals and standards.  Which was probably why Isis was the doted one, not Mai.

Mai made a face as Adriya continued in her honeyed tone, fussing with the tiny imperfections that she found in Isis' dress.  "You should wear that a little lower, like so," Adriya commanded, carefully placing the sleeves of Isis' shirt a millimeter lower.  She scrutinized Isis again.  "Have you been eating a little more than usual?  Your shirt is a millimeter too tight." she asked, lips turned downward as she examined Isis' perfectly flat stomach and tiny waist.  Isis flushed lightly and bit her lip in consternation.  Mai rolled her eyes again and suppressed the urge to shout at her mother.  Isis never gained weight.  She was a toothpick.  It was people like her mother who made their kids bulimic.  Mai fidgeted in her seat as her mother's dominating presence started to weigh heavily on her nerves.  Finally, she snapped.    

            "Hey Isis.  Are you going to give me a ride?  'Cause I sorta have to go now.  I mean, right now."  Mai said sharply, interrupting the tense aura Adriya's presence had on the room.  Adriya turned from Isis and shot her eyes at her.  

            "If you want someone to do something for you, it would do you well to say it in a softer voice."  She warned, staring with repressed irritation at Mai's messy bun and eclectic taste in boyish clothes.  Isis visibly breathed a sigh, her mother's heavy gaze and attentions off her, and she, smiling an uncharacteristic smile, gathered her books and put them into her neatly organized bag.  

"Come on.  I'll give you a ride."  Isis spoke levelly, voice calm and serene.  Her eyes, however, showed obvious relief.  Mai, on the other hand, grabbed her hiking backpack, stuffed a few papers in, and casually slung it over one shoulder.  Malik followed right after, avoiding his mother's approving glance.  Ishtar finished off his toast, and gave his mother a loud kiss on the cheek before dashing off after the rest, grinning self-confidently.

All rushed through the door hurriedly, as though something was closing in behind them.  Isis glided to the car, key in hand, when Mai flipped the latch on the Ishtahl's three-car garage door.  Isis' blue eyes glittered in the bright sun, puzzled.  

"What are you doing?"  Isis asked, in an unusually warm tone.  Mai quickly pushed the door upward and grinned cheekily at her sister, while Malik and Ishtar ducked under the ascending door.  

"I'm skating to school.  You didn't think I'd ride to school in that preppy thing, would you?"  Mai pointed to the sleek silver Porsche convertible in the driveway, gleaming in the crisp light of the early morning.  Malik, from inside the shade of the garage, flipped up Mai's dark skateboard and rolled it to her.  As she neatly stopped it with her foot and caught it up, Malik and Ishtar emerged with their in-line skates and bike, respectively.  Isis elegantly lifted an eyebrow.

"We need at least 20 minutes to get to school.  Why else would we walk out on Mother's oh-so-endearing speech."  Mai spoke, her face indifferent.  Isis' eyes met Mai's bright violet ones.  Isis smiled slightly, a sincere smile.  

"Thank you."  She said simply, palming her keys in her hand.  Mai looked away.  It was too much niceness at one time.  

"Don't flatter yourself.  Mother would have eventually started on me.  That's the only reason I interrupted.  Plus, if she knew we were skating to school, she'd freak.  It's safer to say that I'm hitching a ride with my perfect sister."  Mai retorted, though the sharp gleam of her eyes softened for a split second, "It was a perfectly selfish reason."  

A silence spread comfortably between the sisters for a period.  Then Ishtar, who decided he had enough sisterly mushiness for one day, roughly pushed Mai to the side and jumped on his bike, propelling it down the long driveway.  

"Last one to school washes the dishes tonight!"  he shouted, voice fading as the wind swept it away.  Mai and Malik both rolled their eyes.  Isis called back.

"We have a dishwasher, Ishtar."  Ishtar, peddling his bike furiously, looked back long enough to salute his older sister.  Mai hopped lightly onto her board and shoved off, accelerating down the concrete slope.  After ducking his head and softly saying bye to Isis, Malik eagerly strapped on his skates and took off like a bullet after Mai.  Isis' eyes sparkled ocean blue as she looked at the panorama spread before her, under the bright blue sky.  Mai had almost caught up with Ishtar, having used an uneven portion of the sidewalk as a jump ramp.  Her hair was loosening from its hold, flying back and shining brightly like the tail of a comet.  Ishtar, on the other had, was obsessively smoothing his own hair in hopes that it would not escape its hair-gelled hold.  Malik had daringly skated up the loading ramp of a parked truck and jumped off the side, making an imposing silhouette in the sky.  He landed with a loud plastic clank, nearer to the other two than he was at first.  Isis' eyes lingered a little while longer on the agile figures shrinking into the distance.  Then with a light sigh, she unlocked the door of the Porche and lowered her willowy form into the leather driver's seat.         

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Mai propelled her board around the corner, whirling around in an ollie to tease Ishtar, who was at least a half-block behind.  She smoothly recovered and pushed against the rough cement to increase her pace, as she heard Malik's skates clashing against the ground close behind her.  His breath rang heavily through the air to her ears.  Grinning, she wiped a hand over her moist forehead and scowled as a rebel sweatdrop dripped down the side of her face.  As she neared the road that lead to the bus loop in front of the school, she side-stepped Malik's attempt to push her off-balance, and with satisfaction, heard both twins mutter Egyptian curses under their strained breaths.  She scanned the road for a limousine.  A bright silver car passed, and the driver nodded in their direction.  "Took Isis long enough," muttered Mai, cutting in front of Malik, who had taken a temporary lead.  Malik stumbled on a large crack on the sidewalk, but recovered with a clumsy grace.  Ishtar was catching up with the two, putting himself on high gear. 

"Come on, come on!  Where are you!"  Mai was approaching the corner of the sidewalk, and anxiously awaiting the appearance of a black limousine.  Half a block to go….and suddenly, a sleek limo appeared, freshly polished and gleaming richly in the morning sun.  The limo slowed down at the stop sign, and finally halted to a stop.  With a quick nod at Malik, Mai took off from the sidewalk, the momentum carrying Mai easily over the grass.  On the asphalt road, she headed for the limo, never slowing down.

"What in Ra's name is she doing?"  Ishtar yelled to his twin, who, grinning, had stopped to watch the impending spectacle.  Malik continued to grin impishly, and merely jerked a finger in his sister's direction.  

"Watch and learn."

Mai accelerated her skateboard as she neared the front of the limo.  Ignoring the horror of the chauffer in the driver's seat, she leaned back and jumped, leaping into the air like a cat.  While the skateboard slid under the car, in front of the tires, Mai soared over the limo's hood, landing in a one hand onto the hood.  With a light flip, Mai propelled herself over the other half of the hood and landed on her feet, catlike as always.  She flicked her head back to wink at the boys, and continued towards the school entrance.

"Dang." The usually voluble Ishtar's jaw hung down to the concrete, and even Malik, who knew what Mai intended to do, was slightly bug-eyed.  

"Well, we always knew Mai was good.  But that," paused Malik, scratching the side of his head pensively, "that was amazing."  

Ishtar was still trying to recover from his shock, so Malik, whose wits had recovered enough to remember that they were in a race, took advantage of his twin's condition and charged on ahead to the entrance, doing a little jump as he hurtled forward.  Ishtar finally shut his jaw as the black limo passed, the strong silhouette of the teenager inside looking displeased, and pedaled defeatedly towards school, conceding his loss.  

Mai meanwhile had skated up the stair rail and stood there, feeling the sun beat down on her face and watching her brothers approach as quickly as they could.  She smirked as the limousine pulled up to the curb and the tall boy stepped briskly out onto the pavement.  Looking at the sleek hood of the limousine, she whispered:

"I'd rather be anything but ordinary please."

And she disappeared into the building, board neatly in hand.     

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So whatcha think?  It's just the introduction.  Don't worry, next chapter, Seto Kaiba will come into the picture, and we'll get to observe his interesting symptoms whenever Isis comes around.  And what's this?  He's going to ask Mai for help?  Has the world gone mad?  No it hasn't, but that's besides the point.  What torture will Mai put the begging Seto through before she helps him?  Will she even help him?  Find out next time.  That is, if you review. :P

Peace out, minna-kun

Tru-chan


	2. Author's Note

Hey my faithful readers,

            You have no idea how much I love you guys.  You are the best!  I would send all of you e-mails and plates of cookies if I could, but unfortunately, my wallet is empty and I haven't even had time to write the chapters of my stories.  But keep those reviews coming!  They're fuel to my writing ability…

            However, I've been really, really busy these few weeks.  Months, really.  College stuff, scholarship stuff, and AP tests coming up has really got me bogged down.  As well, my dad messed up the computer, and all the starts to my new chapters are gone.  *sob sob*  So please forgive me and continue to wait patiently.  Don't forget about me.  

            I want to reward you guys for being so faithful and patient.  So on May 28, I will give you guys at least two chapters of each story.  I mean LONG CHAPTERS.  So please wait.  And if you want me to publish then sooner, write a review and encourage me, PLEASE!

Thank ye for your encouragement and help.

See you in May.

Trupana 


	3. Daydreams and Reality

Hey you guys!  

Thanks so much for the reviews!  Your great reviews made me so guilty that I definitely had to publish today even though the chapters aren't finished to reduce my guilt.  Please keep it up! 

By the way, I'm uploading this chapter again tomorrow, and the day after that if it's not done, because it isn't where I want it to be yet!

SO CHECK BACK TOMORROW!  AND REVIEW AGAIN PLEASE!  I LOVE YOU ALL!

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Seto Kaiba had an unusually blank look in his eyes.  Not the bad blank kind, the kind where his irises seemed to be solid disks of hard blue and his mouth was hanging slightly ajar from pure boredom.  That was his office meeting face.  No, this was the kind where his mouth could barely keep from dropping in awe, and his usually hard, penetrating eyes were soft and glazed over.  If anyone had been paying attention to him that moment, the person would have sworn that Seto was drooling.

            As it was, no one was really looking at him.  They were all concentrating unusually hard at the elegant figure presiding at front of the class; the boys mirrored Seto's fish-out-of-water expression, and the girls were trying their hardest to contain their envy, and at the same time, kill with their eyes.  In other words, Isis Ishtahl was presenting her Egypt project in the front of the classroom.

            Seto, like every other boy at school excluding Malik and Ishtar, was absolutely enamoured with Isis Istahl.  No other girl was able to fluster him except for Isis.  Of course, no other girl was quite as enigmatic, exotic, and mysterious as the graceful, refined Isis.  With every other person, Seto could be cold, indifferent, much too above them to care or notice their pathetic lives.  But before Isis, Seto fell on his face like a piece of jello before her Aphrodite-like beauty and sophistication.  Which, Seto mused, was quite accurate; after all, Isis was a goddess of magic in Egyptian mythology.  And, wow, did she ever cast a spell over his heart!

            Seto had concluded that she was the perfect girl for him the moment he had seen her wandering the halls on the first day of high school.  Even then, she moved with a grace only befitting goddesses, held her head with a lovely wisdom beyond her years, captured him with the mysterious, drowning depth of her stunningly exotic eyes.  And he fell for her again every year, fell harder and faster every time, when he saw her walk through the high school doors on the first day of school each new school year.  

            But _she didn't know that.  She didn't know how hard his heart pumped when she passed by him in the halls, how he could barely keep his folded arms in their impassive position, how his eyes unconsciously followed her every fluid movement.  She didn't know that he admired the way she could speak intelligently on every subject, how she seemed to know what would happen next, the way her voice lit up the entire room with its unfathomable radiance.  _

            Involuntarily, his fists clenched and his brow furrowed in frustration.  Every attempt he had ever made to speak to her and make a good impression had ended in his stuttering, an awkward silence, and Isis smiling her detached, Mona Lisa smile as she passed by him.  Seto was well aware of his masculine charm; almost every girl in the school had thrown themselves at his feet, only to be ignored by the frosty Seto.  He was aware of the many appraising female glances greeting him in the halls, and the dreamy expressions on female faces, but he did not care for any of them.  If only he could work his magic on Isis!  But her magic was too strong for his…

Fortunately, thought Seto, inwardly smirking, no other male had been successful in capturing the attention of the beautiful Ms. Ishtahl.  She went to dances looking elegant…and completely on her own.  She went to parties alone.  It was rumored that her domineering parents did not let her go out with others, lest the immature high schoolers steal their precious Egyptian jewel.  Other rumors included overprotective, sadistic twin brothers and a "shrew" of a younger sister.  Anyhow, every boy who dared to reach for Isis never managed to succeed, though they wooed her with their smiles, physique, money, cars, flowers, and poems.  She treated them as she treated him:  politely, impersonal, with a enigmatic, alluring smile.  

Seto considered their failed attempts, tapping his long fingers against the desk.  His businesslike mind had set to analyzing their methods and extracting lessons.  To attract customers, a business had to offer something new and attractive.  So to attract Isis, he must offer something no one else could offer.  But what?  What could he get that none of the others had been able to give?  They all had intelligence, good looks.  They all tried to convince Isis that they were interested in her passions and interests.  To win over clients, he had to get their trust, to assure them that their best interests were his priority.  Maybe that was it.  She was very keen; she must have been able to sense their insincerity, their desire to have her as a girlfriend just so they could have that which no one else was able to possess.  Maybe she just needed to know that he was sincere, that he was better than any of the guys who had tried to date her, that he was trustworthy.  But how?

            "In conclusion, the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs reflected their religious beliefs and their close connection with the stars."  Isis Ishtahl finished, brushing a silky strand of hair away from her face and gesturing to the elaborate model of a tomb that rested before her.  She smiled lightly, her usual mysterious, sweet, and indifferent smile.  "Any questions?"

            Dimly, Seto heard her closing words, but still in the midst of strategizing, he did not hear the teacher asking Seto if he had any questions.

            "Are you all right?  Mr. Kaiba?  Do you have any questions for Ms. Ishtahl?"  the teacher looked with a concerned face at Seto.  Seto often relentlessly questioned his fellow students about their actual knowledge of their topics, and often made them look like fools; the teacher especially enjoyed the pale look on the students' faces as they tried to defend themselves from Seto's (rather arrogant) attacks.  But now, the teacher's favorite student seemed to be in a daze.

            Seto jumped when he realized that the questions were directed towards him.  Next to him, a blonde-haired girl snickered softly and tried to hide a growing grin.

            "Uh…I thought….uh…um…it was….beaut-…I mean…" the usually silver-tongued CEO stuttered, flushing, "It was…I mean…Ms. Ishtahl…uh, Isis…I mean, the presentation was great."  Seto finished lamely.

            The girl next to him didn't even try to hide her smirk this time.  When Seto glared at her, she widened her eyes innocently and rocked the skateboard under her desk from side to side with her feet.  

            The corners of Isis' lips curved up lightly, and with a small nod of her head, she glided through the maze of desks back to her seat in front of the grinning blonde girl.  Seto glared once again at the girl sitting next to him, although she didn't notice and didn't care, and had started doodling in her notebook again.  That girl was in every single one of his classes, perpetually frustrated him, and took the space where Isis should have been sitting; all the teacher assigned seats by alphabetical order, and the girl was always either beside him or in front of him, leaving him just out of reach of Isis.  If she didn't go to the school, Isis would be sitting right next to him.  Ishtahl…then Kaiba.

            "Mai.  Are you ready for your presentation?"  the teacher, Mr. Campbell, sighed, knowing that the girl was not paying attention in class and was fooling around with her skateboard.  But what could he say?  She made straight A's…  

            Seto watched with a smirk as the girl's face paled and the pen dropped from her hand.  She was not prepared for the presentation.  Seto leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, ready to see the girl embarrassed in front of the class.  How dare she laugh at him!  Now she would feel the consequences of slighting Seto Kaiba.  He settled back in his chair; this would be an interesting show.

            He watched as the girl shuffled together blank papers to look as though she had notes, and hesitantly wind her way to the front of the class.  But as she approached the chalkboard, she seemed to relax.  She sauntered to the front of the class like a cat, her confidence reflected in her long strides, her eyes gleaming and arms swinging by her side.  She stood in the front cockily, with the poise of one who was accustomed to the spotlight, and pushed back a blonde wave back from her eyes with one hand, the other hooked in her pocket.  With a shock, Seto realized that the girl was not nervous at all!

            She drew herself up to her full 5' 11'' height and grinned cheekily at the class.  The teacher rolled his eyes and waited, pen in hand, to mark off the girl for any minor mistake that she made.

            The girl snagged a piece of chalk off the ledge and threw it up and down as she spoke.  "Today, I will be talking about how the elements related to the elaborate Aztec ball games reflected the religious beliefs of the Aztec people.  For not only were the courts and games played for the entertainment of the people, but…"

            The teacher stopped her with a frown.  "I thought you were going to talk about the status of the Aztec people as related to the ball game."

            The girl paused for a moment, biting her lip.  Then she smiled mock-sweetly at the teacher.  "You didn't let me finish.  The courts and games were not played just for the entertainment of the people, but were used to reflect the status and religious principles of each participating individual."

            After having skillfully saved her presentation, the girl turned around and began drawing a rather detailed diagram of the Aztec ball courts.

            "Of course, the first thing you need to know is the architecture of the playing courts.  These courts were not just ordinary courts; they were designed to meet game standards as well as religious ones.  For example…"

            As the girl continued, Seto raised his eyebrows in surprise.  The girl was very good, very good indeed.  She winged the presentation with ease and skill; she even presented some ideas and facts that Seto himself didn't know before.  Then suddenly, a thought hit him, and Seto almost slammed his head against the desk in anger.  He was a genius, so how could he be so dense?  Isis had a younger sister named Mai.  The girl in front of the class was Mai Ishtahl.  The only girl who was able to frustrate him to such a high level, his source of perpetual irritation, was Isis's sister!  The girl that he was making an enemy out of was the one he needed!    

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            So why does Seto "need" Mai?  What will happen when these two archnemesis meet face to face?  Will Seto have to beg on his knees to get the woman of his dreams?  Find out next time….probably tomorrow.  So CHECK BACK TOMORROW!


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